Unloading and excavating machine



Nov. 4 1924. 1,513,744

l.. H. cLEMENTs UNLOADINGA AND EXCAVATING MCHINEY Filed March 12, 1923 2Sheets-Shea. l

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L.. H. CLEMENTS A UNLOADING AND EXCAVATING MACHINE Filed March l2, 19232 s heetss--Sheev- 2 e ,gw/vento@ Patented Nov. 4, 1924.

UNITED L'INcoLN. H. cLnMEN'rs, or cLnlMnNfrs, MINNESOTA.

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Appncauo meat/laren 1'2, 19231 serial No. teef/15o.

tain new and useful Imbrovem'ents in Un-` loading and Excavatingllachines, 'of which the following is a'spe'cic'ation.

This invention relates to machines for e1- cavating, and for unloadinggravel, sand, coal or the like from gondol'as or other freight cars anddelivering it into motortrucks, wagons or other vehicles, fortransportation to other points, and the main object is to provide apractical, efficient and easily operated machine for such purposes.Further objects will be disclosed in the course of the followingspecification, are particularly pointed out in the appended claims, andare clearly illustrated in the accompanying drawings, wherein:

Fig. 1 is a side elevation of the machine, showing, adjacent thereto, afractional section of a car to be unloaded.

Fig. 2 is an end view of the machine, with the lower portion thereofbroken away.

Fig. 3 is a horizontal sectional detail on the line 3-3 in Fig. 2.

Fig. 4 is an enlarged section on the line 4-4 in Fig. 2.

Reference will 11o-w be made to the various elements of the structure byreference characters, like parts being indicated by like charactersthroughout the various figures of the drawings.

The base A of the machine is preferably mounted on a vehicle, so as tobe portable, and in the present instance is centrally pivoted on avertical spindle B of a truck C, so that it can be turned or swung toany desired position. The base is further provided with an annularseries of casters or rollers D, which roll on a circular track E of thetruck platform F. A heavy coil sprin G is preferably interposed betweenthe base A and a nut or head H on the upger end of the spindle, so thatthe base .A will be yieldingly yet firmly held down on the track E atall times.

At what will hereinafter be termed the front of the base A, is secured apair of upright standards 5, to which are pivotally secured the rearends of a pair of radius bars 6, adapted to swing in vertical planes. Tothe outer or front ends of the radius bar-s 6 is secured a conveyor 7,having shafts 8 and 9.whic h carry endless -chains 10 having buckets 11.Angle iron tracks 12 are preferably used to support 'and guide thechains lo. l

A shaft 13 is journaled in the conveyor and is drivenwith a chain 14 bya shaft 15, which is j'ournaled in' a. hollow shaft or pipe 16,-carrying the radius bars The shaft 15 has a pulley 17 driven by `abelt18 from the pulley 19 ofan fen'oine 29, on the base'A.` The opposite endotfth'e shaft 13 has a sprocket gear 21, driving a sprocket chain 22which passes over a sprocket gear 23 fixed on the shaft 8; thustransmitting the power of the engine 20 to the carrier chains 10.

A hood 24 is provided over the top run of the buckets 11, and suitablehandles 25 are secured near the lower end of the conveyor, to facilitateits being swung or moved, as desired.

The shaft 8 is journaled in adjustable plates 26, secured by screws 27and adjusted by bolts 28, so that the chains carried thereon can beslightly lengthened or shortened to' regulate their slack.

To the plates 26 is rigidly secured a primary or receiving chute 29, towhich is pivotally secured, as at 30, the upper end of a long deliveringchute 31 (see Fig. 1), having a gate 32 at its lower end. The deliveringend of the chute 31 is made vertically adjustable, by being carried by arope 33, which passes over a pulley 34 and is secured as at a hitch 35,arranged on an upright frame or support 36.

The vertical adjusting of the conveyor 7 is accomplished by a crank 37on a shaft 38, which shaft projects out far enough so that the crankclears the belt 18. The shaft 38 is journaled on the uprights 5, and isprovided with a pinion 39, which meshes with and drives a gear 40 on ashaft 41, also j ournaled on the standards 5. A hand releasable dog 42is arranged to enga 'e the gear 40, to revent it from turning a ter theposition othe conveyor is determined. The shaft 41 is provided withspools or small drums 43, on which are wound the lower ends of cables44. These cables pass over fixed pulleys 45, and moving ulleys 45a (atthe outer ends of the bars 6, tie upper ends being secured, as at 46, tothe standards 5.

Pivotally secured between the standards 5, as at 47 is a short returnchute 48, adapted to catch all the material dropped from the upper endof the conveyor and not received by the chute 29, and return it to thecar which is being unloaded. The lower end of this chute is supported ona substantially Ushaped bracket 49 which is selectively secured, at itslower ends, in perforations 50 of plates 51, on the standard 5, thusenabling the chute to be readily adjusted f to any angle desired.

It is understood that suitable modifications may be made in the generaldesign and structural details of this invention, provided, however, thatsuch modifications come within the spirit and scope of the appendedclaims. n

Having now therefore fully shown and described my invention what I claimto be new and desire to protect by United States Letters Patent is:

1. The combination in a machine of the character described, of aconveyor adapted to carry material from a car to a higher elevation, aninclined chute arranged with its upper end to receive such material fromthe conveyor, and a return chute adjustably ar ranged vertically belowthe upper end of said conveyor to receive spilled material therefrom andreturn it back to the car.

2. The combination in a machine of the class described, of a conveyoradapted to carry material from a ear to a higher elevation, an inclinedchute arranged with its upper end to receive such material from theconveyor, an inclined return chute arranged to receive spilled materialand return it back to the car, and means for vertically adjusting thedelivery end of the return chute.

In testimony whereof I aiX my signature.

LINCOLN H. CLEMENTS.

